Cooking

If there’s one food that really captures the essence of summer, it’s salad. It doesn’t necessarily have to be leafy and green to be called a salad, as some of my favorite summertime salads have never been near a head of lettuce.
Over the years, I’ve shared many salad ideas, with many of them coming from my wife, who makes great summer salads. I still like to try out new ideas out on her, and most of them I get two thumbs up. We won’t talk about the ones that don’t make the list!

Onions are underground bulbs that are related to the lily family. They should be stored in a cool, dry place, and the sooner you use them, the better.
With the exception of leeks and scallions, onions should not be refrigerated, unless there is an unused portion, which should be wrapped in plastic first.

When it’s just you or the two of you, it can be a real challenge preparing meals when you were used to preparing for an army, as my wife can attest. What works well for many of us is making a large casserole and eating half and then freezing the other half. You can also divide it into two smaller baking pans. Bake one right away and wrap and freeze the other, leaving you with leftovers for another day.

As Independence Day rolls around again, it’s time for the Great American Cookout, and there’s one thing you can expect at this holiday: There will always be plenty of traditional Fourth of July food. Many of us have several favorites that we always serve.
So, I thought it only fitting that I should list my top 10 foods that you can always expect to see at a Fourth of July barbecue:
Fresh Lemonade: Try adding frozen cubes of lemonade to your drink and your lemonade will not become watered down.

Have you ever sat down and planned what meals you were going to cook that week without considering what vegetables were in season? I know I have!
I get this craving for a certain meal that I want to have without even considering if certain foods or veggies are even available at that time of year. When I can’t find what I want, I sometimes end up creating a completely different dish than what I had planned. Sometimes this is a good thing.

Many vegetables do well on the grill, but those high in water content, like cucumbers, celery, lettuce or most any leafy green, just don’t make the grade. My favorites are asparagus, eggplant, onions, cabbage and tomatoes. Peppers are a natural grilling choice too, whether you choose bell peppers or the hot variety.

Even though it’s available year round, I really love that first ear of corn in late spring or early summer, when it is at its peak.
Like tomatoes, corn is best when grown locally. Check out our local farm markets and farmer’s markets. Usually, the corn sold there has been picked that morning, unlike corn sold in the local super markets. Corn loses it freshness very quickly.
Corn is the number one field crop grown in the United States, in both value and volume of production.

I can remember the first time I ever tasted French fries smothered in chicken gravy! It was in Topeka, Kan. at a small local steakhouse. The waiters never wrote anything down, being able to remember everyone’s order perfectly. Our group all ordered thick T-bone steaks. In a few minutes, the waiter brought over a large serving bowl of homemade fries and a large bowl of chicken gravy. I don’t remember much about the steaks, but the combination of those fries and gravy has stuck with me all these years.

There are two types of remoulade (pronounced ruma-lade) sauces, and probably a million recipes for each. One is a white, mayonnaise-based style, and the other is a red version, which I prefer. The sauce is best if made a day ahead to let the flavors combine.
Remoulades generally fall into one of two categories: those with a mayonnaise base and those with an oil base. In the oil or mayonnaise-based versions, the reddish hue is accomplished from the addition of paprika.

Spring onions are genetically identical to the common onion, but they look and taste differently because they are planted very close together and harvested prematurely to give a milder flavor than a common onion.
Though spring and green onions are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between them. Spring onions have larger leaves and are harvested after a small bulb has formed. Green onions are harvested before any bulb has formed.